ALHAMZAH AL JUBOURIY

Arizona State University, BS hamzahaljubouriy@gmail.com

Alhamzah (Hamzah) Al Jubouriy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, having attained the Moeur award for graduating with a 4.0 GPA. He was born and raised in the Middle East and he takes pride in his Arab and Muslim background. He is originally from Iraq, has spent some of his childhood in Jordan, and immigrated to the United States as a 12-year-old with his family in 2013. He faced difficulties when he first moved here during middle school with speaking English and fitting in, and has used those hardships as a motivation to pursue his academic and career goals in the field of medicine. He had developed his interest in medicine through his experiences with war-affected children he encountered at UNICEF programs during the time he spent in Jordan. Understanding the challenges of assimilating into a new culture, he has found a joy in tutoring and assisting Iraqi immigrants to succeed and adapt to their new environment. In addition, he has implemented rigorous time-management and self-motivation to fulfill his responsibilities towards his immigrant family while simultaneously striving for excellence in academics, as he has contributed to the family’s income by working in his family business since the age of 15. In his free time, he likes to play soccer and work out. Soccer has been a passion of his since the age of six, and he is a proud fan of FC Barcelona.

Some of the clinical experiences he had been involved in during his undergraduate and post-undergraduate time include clinical rotations in the ER, volunteering in the surgery department, and working as a COVID-testing specialist and medical assistant. He aspires to enhance his research experience from this internship in an effort to make him a better physician scientist in the future. In the distant future, he hopes to become a surgeon whom people see as beyond just a surgeon and as a fellow human that they would like to be healed by, and who is heavily involved in serving disadvantaged groups locally and abroad.

⊲ PROJECT

The Benefits of a Diverse Healthcare Workforce on Care Delivery for Diverse Patient Populations.

After being asked a question about the language barrier during the mock interview, it brought back memories of when Hamzah first came to America at the age of 12 and experienced the language barrier and discomfort with cultural discordance in healthcare settings. As he reflected on his experiences, he realized that the young him would have appreciated more diversity in the clinics all those years ago. With that being said, he answered the question by stating that ultimately the most effective solution to the language barrier along with other healthcare disparities faced by minority populations is diversity within the workforce. With diversity always emphasized in healthcare settings and his experiences as an immigrant, he has decided for his research project to conduct a literature review aiming to investigate the advantages of integrating diversity within the healthcare workforce on care delivery for culturally-diverse patient populations.

ALEJANDRA ZAPIEN-HIDALGO

MD, MPH Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine

azapien8@arizona.edu

Alejandra Zapien-Hidalgo is an Assistant Professor and Director of Continuing Medical Education (CME) in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the College of Medicine Tucson. Additionally, she serves as the UAHS Bilingual Medical Spanish and Distinction Track Director in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI).

As a founding member and recording secretary of the National Association for Medical Spanish, Dr. Zapien-Hidalgo has been advancing medical Spanish proficiency. She also contributes significantly to the College of Medicine-Tucson as a committee member of Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS).

Beyond her academic roles, Dr. Zapien-Hidalgo is crucial in serving the community. Her dedication is evident as the Vice President of the board of directors for Clinica Amistad, a commendable initiative providing free healthcare services to uninsured and underserved populations in South Tucson. Over the years, Dr. Zapien-Hidalgo has made a remarkable impact by working with the Focusing Research on the border area summer internship (FRONTERA) program. As the Program Director, she led and mentored more than 100 students, who have since excelled in various health professions careers, including Medicine, Nursing, Physician Assistant (PA), Public Health, Pharmacy, and Ph.D. programs. The students have consistently praised the FRONTERA internship for equipping them with the skills and tools to achieve their professional career goals.

Building on her vast experience, Dr. Zapien-Hidalgo assumed the position of Director for the BLAISER/FRONTERA summer program in 2023, continuing her mission to guide and empower future healthcare professionals. As the director of the BLAISER/FRONTERA summer internship, she provides mentorship and leadership, furthering OEDI’s mission to promote diversity within the health sciences workforce. Dr. Zapien-Hidalgo actively fosters collaborations with UArizona clinical and research departments, faculty, and mentors and engages with organizations in Tucson and the border communities.